Intermediate Method

After you have mastered the Beginner Method, you will want to try more advanced methods to reduce your time.  If you don't feel quite ready for the most advanced methods available, I recommend the Intermediate Method outlined here.

This method is much faster than the beginner method, but not nearly as fast as the methods that require more memorization.  To solve with the beginner method, you needed seven steps and eight algorithms (or nine, if you upgraded).  Most of the solves take more than one look per step.  With the intermediate method, you will eliminate one step completely, but you will have to memorize at least thirteen (13) algorithms (not counting mirror images).  The most time consuming algorithms will be reduced in frequency, so your average time will be reduced by about 15-25%.

The steps of this method are:

1. Place and orient the edge pieces on the first layer intuitively.

2. Combine the edge pieces of the second layer with matching corner pieces of the first layer and place them in the correct positions and orientations.  This should be done intuitively, but can also be done with several algorithms, if you prefer.

3. Place the corners of the third layer, using two algorithms (one plus one modification) in one look.

4. Orient the corners of the third layer, using four algorithms (two plus two modifications) in two looks or using six algorithms (add one new algorithm and its inverse) in one look.

5. Place the edges of the third layer, using four algorithms (three plus one inverse) in one or two looks.

6. Orient the edges of the third layer, using three algorithms (two plus one modification) in one look.

3. Place the corners of the third layer:

Swap two facing corners:

Lu Tr Ld Cw Tl Cc Lu Tl Ld

Swap all four corners:

Lu Tr Ld Cw T2 Cc Lu Tl Ld

4. Orient the corners of the third layer:

Hold the top left and rotate the other corners counter-clockwise:

Ru Tl Rd Tl Ru T2 Rd

(Hold the top right and rotate the other corners clockwise:)

( Lu Tr Ld Tr Lu T2 Ld )

Rotate two opposite corners clockwise and the other two counter-clockwise (hold with the top sides facing out):

Ru Tl Rd Tl [Ru Tr Rd Tl] Ru T2 Rd

Rotate the near left corner clockwise and the far right corner counter-clockwise:

Ru Tl Rd Tl [Ru Tr Rd Tl] [Ru Tr Rd Tl] Ru T2 Rd

When you see two top sides adjacent to one another and the others opposite of one another.  Hold the cube to that the adjacent tops both face left, then perform:

Ru T2 R2 Tr R2 Tr R2 T2 Ru

If there are two top corners oriented correctly adjacent to one another, there are two possible cases, which I call "Parallel Ls" and "Divergence"

Parallel Ls:

Cw Tl Rd Cw Bl Cw Br C2 R2 Tr Rd Cc

Divergence:

Mu Tl Md T2 Mu Tl Md

Rd Cw Ru Mw Rd Cc Ru Mc

( Ld Cc Lu Mc Ld Cw Lu Mw )

If there are two opposites disoriented, use the inverse of the above:

Mw Rd Cw Ru Mc Rd Cc Ru

( Mc Ld Cc Lu Mw Ld Cw Lu )

If there are no disoriented sides, place the non-moving side in the back, then use:

C2 Tl Mu T2 Md Tl C2

( C2 Tr Mu T2 Md Tr C2 )

6. Orient the edges of the third layer:

Arrow pattern:

Cw Ml R2 M2 Rd T2 Ru M2 R2 Mr Ru T2 Rd Cc

"I" Pattern:

Rd Ml R2 M2 Rd T2 Ru M2 R2 Mr Ru T2

"X" Pattern:

Mu T2 Md T2 Mu Tr Md T2 Mu T2 Md Tl

That's it.

If you learned these, but your times did not improve, give it a little time.  It may take a week or two to get comfortabledoing these.  Compared to the beginner method, you should save an average of at least fourteen moves by combining the first two layers, plus an additional fifteen moves (on average) with the additional algorithms for the last layer.  This should cut your twisting time down by 20%, so a 50 second solve should become a 40 second solve.  You should NOT expect to get sub-20 times with this method.  Maybe if you are very fast, you can achieve sub-30, depending on how long it takes you to set up the cross and your turns per second on the rest of the cube.

If you want to memorize a lot more, and decrease your time significantly, I would suggest trying to learn one of these three methods:

Fridrich

Petrus

Roux

Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, but all will require more practice than the intermediate method that I outlined here.  Fridrich requires a LOT of memorization.